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To be at Villa Park on Saturday was to witness a crime. The victim was the game of football and the offenders were Wimbledon - serial killers in this matter.

It is a depressing and familiar story but repeated exposure to the Dons’ patented and perfected tactics does not lessen the horror.

Their manager Joe Kinnear went through the usual catechism of excuses and to say they are wearing thin is as big an understatement as saying Vinnie Jones is a dirty player.

He is a disgrace to his club (sorry he is the epitome of his club) and a danger to his fellow professionals.

The ranks of professional footballers are not peopled by saints but Jones’ inexcusable attempted assault on Garry Parker was astonishing even by his red-misted standards.

Even Kinnear called it stupid but to then say Jones has to learn was to beggar belief Jones is 28 is in his seventh season in the game and faces his third ban this season.

Kinnear himself became embroiled in a row with fans around the dugout with charge and counter charge made.

Enraged supporters reported the Wimbledon boss to police for making obscene open-handed gestures to them while he told the post-match conference that a “couple of bricks” had been thrown at him.

Under further questioning he revised that down to “little bricks and stones” although it was not clear where fans may have found these missiles.

It was all the unpleasantness that surrounds a visit from the South London boys but the real damage was being done out on the pitch. Wimbledon were not just dirty but a combination of their style and tactics induced long passages of mind-numbing play.

Foul throw-in, goal-kick, offside, foul throw-in, goal-kick, off-side: So it went on interminably through the first half after Villa’s slick opening had grit poured in the workings by Jones and Co.

As Villa tried to bring it down and pass so Wimbledon chased and thumped it down the touchline or over the middle.

It was like being at Twickenham. Every time they won a throw-in within 15 yards of the Villa dead-ball line they wasted time while Jones chugged over to take a long throw and John Scales trudged up from defence.

Every loose ball in midfield was hacked up field, every free-kick or throw-in against them was where possible prevented from being taken quickly.

“We are an honest lot” said Kinnear although this reporter had more sympathy for his opinion when he said: “We are not everyone’s cup of tea I’m aware of that but we will take what comes with it.

We do not have to play a style to suit Villa he added pointing out what happened to Middlesbrough last week. But it is a lame excuse to say they play that way because they cannot afford better players. Oldham got into the Premier League without money and play with panache.

Wimbledon are a mean miserable-spirited lot who get the support they deserve and it will not just be Villa who hope Wimbledon go out in the replay a week on Wednesday.

Now I have that off my chest what of Villa?

They started perfectly and but for poor finishing by Dwight Yorke who shot wide in the first ten seconds they could quickly have seen off their opponents.

A few minutes later the same player put them ahead with a twisting header from Ray Houghton’s cross but Wimbledon (“we’re hard to beat”) regrouped and knuckled down and the first half dragged fruitlessly by either side of Wimbledon’s equaliser.

Teale was harshly judged to have fouled just outside the area and the free-kick was touched to Gary Elkins whose low shot came off a post and over the line from the back of Nigel Spink’s shoulders.

Teale and McGrath were otherwise largely unperturbed by Wimbledon’s direct style Earl Barrett was excellent again while Villa’s midfield attempted to bring sanity and fluidity to proceedings.

Their manager Ron Atkinson is making an eloquent art of silence and the expressive shrug. He limited himself to saying Wimbledon “make it difficult” and he blamed Villa’s performance on the rigours of a third game in a week. But they spent most of the second half camped in Wimbledon’s half but were unable to bring a real save from Hans Segers who added to the ugliness by receiving a booking for dissent after objecting to the award of a corner.

By then Jones had earned his booking for kicking out at the heels of Parker who had not even attempted or come into contact with the Wimbledon player.

Wimbledon could have stolen the tie had Dean Holdsworth got his foot to a chance in the six-yard box but enough crime had already been committed.

It is depressing that Villa have to meet them twice again this season and almost as bad is that the chief architect of their style Dave Bassett brings his Sheffield United side on Wednesday and then Southampton Hurlock et al are Saturday’s unsavoury rehearsal for the replay.